


breathin' smoke

by rivercallum



Series: RoboWhump Challenge [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: 30 Day RoboWhump Prompt Challenge, Androids, Connor (Detroit: Become Human) Whump, Connor (Detroit: Become Human) is Bad at Feelings, Connor Deserves Happiness, Connor is a Mess (Detroit: Become Human), Connor is insecure, Connor thinks he has to be perfect, Connor wants to be perfect, Damaged Biocomponents (Detroit: Become Human), Deviant Connor (Detroit: Become Human), Gavin Reed Being Less of an Asshole, Hurt/Comfort, Inferiority Complex, Injury, Poor Connor, Post-Pacifist Best Ending (Detroit: Become Human), Protective Hank Anderson, Teasing, Worried Hank Anderson
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-30
Updated: 2020-12-30
Packaged: 2021-03-11 04:20:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,496
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28419024
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/rivercallum/pseuds/rivercallum
Summary: connor's voice modulator doesn't handle a new update well. chaos ensues.
Series: RoboWhump Challenge [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2077860
Kudos: 94





	breathin' smoke

Connor woke up in his new room, gazing at the gray walls as his vision cleared. He smiled pleasantly as the fully installed update pinged in the bottom-right of his vision. It was the first of many updates that are being sent out to better integrate androids into a blended society.  
  
The first update was a customization update, allowing all androids to alter their voice. Connor could imitate others, but not alter his own voice outside of that. He didn't think he'd want to change his voice too much, but he'd like the ability to change his tone a little.   
  
It had been a month after the revolution, and Connor was more than excited to test out the upgrades to his software. The brunette nudged the sliders slightly, changing the pitch and tone just a few levels.   
  
"1 2 3 4-," Connor began to calibrate his voice, but stopped short as a wave of dull pain spread through his throat area.  
  
Connor reached up, touching the cover biocomponent gently. He still wasn't use to the uncomfortable sensations that came with being in a new model. This Connor model was a little more advanced, and it came equipped with pain, temperature and upgraded touch sensors.  
  
"1 2 3-," Connor stopped again, the pain worse this time.  
  
He frowned. The update was installed without issue, and nothing was physically wrong with his modulator.  
  
The brunette ran a self-diagnostic.   
  
_** Conflict with Biocomponent #8751. Initiating software integration features. Please enter stasis for repair. ** _  
  
Slightly irritated, the android tried to shake off the settling anxiety. It wouldn't be that big of a deal. The modulator wasn't physically damaged, and he could enter stasis later that night to fix it.   
  
Connor shook the pain warnings away from his vision and continued with his morning. The brunette exited his room, turning the corner into the kitchen.   
  
"Mornin' Connor." Hank said, sipping a cup of coffee while flipping through the old magazines on the counter.  
  
"Good morning Hank," Connor responded, reflexively clearing his throat as his pain spiked again.  
  
Hank looked at him for a moment, noticing the slight flash of red from his LED.   
  
"You okay kid? You're flashing like a stop light," Hank said, tapping his forehead in reference to Connor's.  
  
"I assure you that I am in fully working order. I have  downloaded a  new update, and it  seems to be conflicting with my pre-existing software," Connor was practically forcing  words out at this  point , the  pain growing nearly unbearable when he  tried speaking .   
  
"Alright well… don't go breaking down on me kid. Come on, we  gotta get to work," Hank grumbled, choosing to  trust the  young android.   
  


* * *

  
When they arrived at work, Connor felt significantly worse. His modulator had an elevated temperature, and his throat began to hurt even when he did not speak. Of course, with his processors attempting to fix the issues, Connor was hot as well.  
  
He sipped a glass of cold thirium at his desk, the liquid helping his systems to cool his modulator. The android wasn't having any issues working in silence. That was until Gavin showed up.  
  
"Hey tin-can," Gavin greeted, a snarky smile on his face.  
  
Connor cleared his throat uncomfortably. "Hello Detective Reed."  
  
The android's voice rasped at the end, an uncomfortable buzzing tone coming from his burning throat.  
  
"Woah never heard that before. You turning in to some FM Radio now? " Gavin jeered, sitting down on the edge of Connor's desk.  
  
Hank also perked up from across the desks, mildly interested in the buzzing noise as well. He'd never heard Connor make that sound before, and it didn't sound pretty.  
  
"Detective, I can-" Connor was forced to clear his throat through the pain. " I can assure you that I do not have the function of a radio. My voice modulator is simply out of calibration. "  
  
Connor's eyes were beginning to water, and he turned away from the detective to face his terminal. The brunette did not want his co-workers to see him cry. Especially not from something so minor such as a sore throat. He wasn't weak and could deal with some minor pain.   
  
"Aw, your little voice box in a twist? What does that thingy even do? " Gavin pushed a bit, trying to catch Connor's gaze.  
  
While Connor's social programming pushed him to respond as normal, the brunette bit back that suggestion. Talking would cause his eyes to water again, and more pain would spike his stress levels. His most efficient option was to stay silent.  
  
"Hey! I'm talking to you! " Gavin hissed, pushing the android a bit more this time.  
  
"Reed, knock it off!" Hank groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose.  
  
He was too old to still be dealing with Gavin's shit.   
  
Connor bit his lip, trying to stop himself from replying. His  head was  beginning to  hurt from all the  work his  processors were  doing in an  attempt to  integrate the  program and he was getting far too overwhelmed by the  new feelings of  pain .   
  
However, his social protocols initiated before he could shut them down.  
  
"My apologies Detective-"   
  
Before Connor could finish, he noticed the puff of smoke exiting from his mouth.   
  
"Jesus Christ Connor! What the fuck was that? " Hank exclaimed, sitting up from his side of the desk.  
  
Even Gavin was a little wide-eyed. He'd never seen an android do that before, and it was a bit jarring.  
  
"My voice modulator is hot, and it seems to be overheating quite quickly," Connor rasped, his voice coming out a bit jarbled.  
  
Connor reached for his throat area, attempting to peel back the synthetic skin and open his throat cavity. His modulator needed some fresh air, and Connor did not want to pant like an helpless animal at work.   
  
Suddenly, an error message filtered up into his vision.  
  
_** BIOCOMPONENT #8751 OVERCLOCK   
SHUTDOWN OF BIOCOMPONENT #8751 ATTEMPTED: FAILED ** _  
  
Connor let out a hoarse whimper of pain, the feeling of his modulator overclocking sending more smoke filtering from his mouth. He could feel his eyes welling with tears, embarrassment tightening around him like a snake.  
  
He hated when he malfunctioned. He was built to be perfect. CyberLife's most advanced and top-tier model. He was unstoppable in combat and was known to hunt deviants with pinpoint accuracy.   
  
And now, he was devolved to a shaking, crying mess at his desk.  
  
Connor found himself feeling pathetic. Like he was stupid for being so incapacitated by something as simple as a sore throat. It was overwhelming. The pain, plus his embarrassment at his state sent his stress levels rising. They weren't self-destruction high, but enough to make the brunette significantly more uncomfortable.  
  
A hoarse cough of smoke forced its way out of Connor's chest, and now everyone was looking and staring at him.  
  
He made a note to avoid public embarrassment at all costs from this point forward.  
  
"Connor, come on, you're  scaring me  kid ," Hank nudged,  trying to  get the android to  tell him what's wrong.   
  
His LED circled a sharp red, blending into a fierce orange as Connor worked up the courage to speak.  
  
"Hurts…" He mumbled incoherently, anxiously hoping that nobody else in the precinct would hear him.  
  
Hank didn't catch what Connor said, looking up at Gavin quizzically.  
  
"I… I think it's hurting him to talk," Reed offered, too astounded to poke fun.  
  
Connor nodded, resisting the urge to bury his head into Hank's neck. He wanted to be as small as possible right now, but the idea of participating in such a blatant show of affection frightened the brunette.   
  
Everything was becoming toomuch. The pain was… palpable, and Connor found it difficult to continue holding back the artificial tears that pricked his eyes.  
  
"I didn’t know androids felt pain…" Gavin mumbled, just staring at the situation in awe.   
  
In fact, the whole precinct was still staring at the scene in. Connor continued to vent smoke from his mouth, and that seemed to startle some people.   
  
_** BIOCOMPONENT #8751 OVERCLOCK - OVERHEATING ** _  
  
"Lieutenant…" Connor rasped, a blast of smoke exiting his mouth.  
  
Pain rippled down Connor's throat, and the android could feel his tears beginning to slip forward. He buried his head, furiously wiping at the fluid substance from his eyes. He wasn't crying. He wasn't weak.  
  
Hank looked up, his eyes alarmed at the amount of smoke exiting his son.  
  
"Come on kid, let's get you out of here." Hank said, easing the android from his seat.  
  
Connor couldn’t think straight, thoughts muddled with error messages and self-depreciating musings. He nodded to the lieutenant and stood up slowly.   
  
"Alright, the kid is okay! Get back to work! " Hank barked, looking around at the gawking crowd.  
  
The older man could tell the staring was making Connor uncomfortable, and he wanted to get him out of there.  
  
"Chris!" Hank barked again, snapping his head to the desk behind him.  
  
Chris's head shot up, eyes slightly fearful.   
  
"Tell Fowler I'm takin' Connor home and that he's on the fritz."  
  
"Yes Lieutenant," Chris responded, heading up toward Fowler's office.  
  
Connor grabbed his bag and let Hank lead him out toward the car. Echoes of "feel better" and "hope he gets repaired soon" sounded from the precinct.  
  
The android felt a pleasant feeling in his chest.   
  
Maybe they cared about him.  
  
They made it to the car, and Connor sank heavily into the passenger seat. It was silent as Hank got in and he looked at Connor with softer eyes.  
  
"So… how do we fix this? " Hank asked bluntly, running his hand through his hair nervously.  
  
"Needs… coool… downnn" Connor's mechanical voice stuttered, desperately attempting to function through the heat damage.  
  
"Okay okay. Uh… roll down the window and leave your mouth open or something. Just until we get home, " Hank suggested.  
  
Through the pain, Connor raised an eyebrow. The suggestion looked ridiculous, but Connor allowed his mouth to hang open and let the smoke filter out into the Detroit air. The brunette was too exhausted to pretend that he was okay now. He was with Hank, and being with Hank was safe. Connor let a few tears slip, not afraid to cry in front of the lieutenant.  
  
Hank had seen Connor cry before, and even it made Connor a little uncomfortable, he was growing used to it.  
  
Without thinking, Hank reached over and felt Connor's forehead, whistling low when he felt just how warm the android was.  
  
"You've got quite the fever going on, but-" Hank trailed, waiting for the snarky comment.  
  
"Androids don't get sick, lieutenant," Connor painfully rasped, Hank mouthing along to one of Connor's more popular comments.  
  
"Yeah and I don't drink before 12," Hank mumbled, finding it hard to be mad at the android when he was sick.  
  
They pulled slowly out of the parking lot, and Hank made the silent drive home. He kept one eye on Connor, in the event that the android got any worse. He found it difficult (and slightly amusing) to see the android hanging his mouth out of the car window like a dog.

"You look like Sumo," Hank joked, getting a garbled snicker from Connor.

* * *

When Connor stepped from the vehicle, Hank had already made it to the door. He was fumbling with the keys when the android shuffled up, shielding his eyes from the sun.  
  
They clamored inside, and Connor crashed onto the couch with an unceremonious thump. The plush seating had never felt so good as the android let his eyes slipped closed. His headache already felt much better due to the natural lighting, and he felt like his throat was easing up.   
  
His modulator had cooled on the drive down, Hank's suggestion working quite well. It had allowed air to filter through into his mouth and out his nose. He could keep a fresh cycle going and reduce the smoke output.  
  
"So what the hell is burning in there? Smells like shit," Hank said, digging around in the kitchen.  
  
"My voice modulator is hot. 101.3F to be exact. It is also damaged from it overclocking, but that is easily repairable," Connor winced. Talking was impossible with his modulator in this state.  
  
Hank mumbled something Connor didn't catch, before a projectile came flying from the kitchen. Connor caught it in one hand reflexively.  
  
"Show off," Hank mumbled. " Its an ice pack. Might help cool down your voice moduflator. "   
  
"Modulator," Connor said pointedly, resting the frozen bag against his throat.  
  
Instantly, the temperature started to decline, and Connor felt the pain beginning to subside slightly. He let out a soft sigh, relaxing farther into the couch.  
  
Sumo marched in from the bedrooms, letting out a soft "boof" as he settled at Connor's feet. The android reached down to scratch the St. Bernard on the head gently, his stress levels sinking significantly.  
  
"So when did your thingy start messing up?" Hank asked, cracking open a beer and collapsing into his recliner.  
  
"This morning," Connor said simply, his voice modulator no longer buzzing with static.  
  
"What?! Connor if you're not feeling good you can stay home from work. I do it all the time, and half the time I feel fine, " Hank berated, adding a small chuckle in at the end.  
  
Connor shuffled uncomfortably. "I do not need to take sick days, Hank. I am a state-of-the-art model and I can handle slight errors in my software. "  
  
Hank scoffed. "Yeah 'cause venting smoke out your mouth is a slight error."  
  
The gray-haired man took a swig of his drink, setting it down in the cupholder.  
  
"But seriously kid, listen. You are allowed to not feel good. You don't have to be perfect. That's what comes with being alive. I'll tell you a million times 'til you get it in that plastic skull of yours," Hank said, looking the android in the eyes.  
  
Connor hadn't thought of it like that. Even if he was deviant, he still believed in upholding his purpose. He wanted to be useful. He had to be useful. He was nothing if he couldn't fulfill his jobs. He was built to be perfect and had the threat of being decommissioned if he wasn't.   
  
He didn't want to talk about it anymore. His former perfections and his current flaws were too overwhelming.  
  
"Thank you, Hank. I'll keep that in mind. " Connor said fakely, his voice modulator cooled significantly that he could resume some form of tonal control.  
  
"Hey don't sweat it kid. Sometimes someone's gotta tell 'ya. " Hank just smiled softly, not seeming to pick up on the android's fib.   
  
"If you don't mind, I would like to enter stasis mode to repair my modulator and finish integrating the update into my systems. It will take about 3 hours to finish," Connor asked politely, looking at Hank for permission to rest.  
  
"Go ahead, do your sleep thing. I'll be here, Hank reassured, reclining back and turning on the TV.  
  
"Alright. Thank you, Hank. "  
  
"No problem kid. No problem. "

**Author's Note:**

> i think this is trash but idc. this is prompt 2: voice modulator damage. connor doesn't want to deal with his emotions right now, but don't worry cause it's comin ;).
> 
> EDIT: Idk why the spacing is so weird. it must have been from my editing program to here. Well, unless its unreadable, I'll leave it as is.


End file.
